The web-based project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The web-based project - Essay Example The web-based project is aimed to sell cookies for large target audience. A cookie is a bit of software stored in the computer of a user to a web site. The cookie allows the web-site to path the movements of the user on the operator's web site. The importance of this project is that the population that can be addressed by conventional physical sales and marketing is constrained by geography, that of the Internet is constrained by the number of people who both have access to it and make active use of it (these not necessarily being the same thing). Estimates of the number of people who use the Internet vary widely, although a consensus seems to be emerging that currently tens of millions of people do indeed use the Internet.A cookie is a bit of software stored in the computer of a user to a web site. The web page provides the cookie, and the user's web browser installs the cookie on the user's hard drive. The cookie allows the web-site to path the movements of the user on the operator 's web site. Another analogy is that the cookie "brands" another computer with profile information. Two of the most popular companies allowed cookies are Netscape and Microsoft (Kalakota et al 1999).The advantage of this product is that the cookie allows the web site operator to customize the web site for the visitor's convenience. What there is no disagreement about is the type of people who use the Internet. At the moment (and this will change as the user-base of the Internet expands), they are predominantly young, under the age of about 40, male and relatively wealthy. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that the pornography industry is one of the few industries that appears to have developed a successful business model for selling on the Internet. Another key aspect of the demographics of the Internet is that every one single person using it owns, or has access to a computer (Laurent, 1998). Users are likely, therefore, to have an above average interest in technology. Comp uter companies, both hardware and software, are, therefore, also extremely well represented on the Internet. The site will benefit e-business companies and help them to monitor actions and preferences of their visitors. Yet, privacy is a serious matter in this case. Cookies gather a lot of personal information about web site users. Some web pages demand a visitor to fill out a registration form before visiting the web site (Laurent, 1998). The web site has the right to store voluntarily provided information, implant the cookie in the user's computer, and access the information anytime the visitor revisits the web site. This practice can be either positive or negative, of course, depending on the use of the information. Another aspect to consider is whether receipt of the cookie was voluntary or unknowing. Audience The main target audience is e-business companies and websites. Once a company has succeeded in getting customers to visit website, it still has to get them to buy something. This is the area in which the Internet, with its interactivity and versatility, starts to win over traditional sales methods. The virtual nature of the Internet means that a company can use different methods for achieving sales - methods that cannot be applied effectively in a physical environment. Ironically, however, most websites fail to take advantage of these methods. In this case, cookies will allow to monitor visitor's preferences and analyze their tastes (Laurent, 1998). Cookies can also allow the web site operator to improve the web site by tracking what interests visitors. The Internet marketing community calls information gained from tracking web site user's movements "click stream data". Software from NetGravity, Inc., tags web site visitors with ID numbers. Its software permits a corporation to read information on the corporation's cookie, such as how many times the visitor has visited, what he or she clicked, and how long he or she has lingered. NetGravity also permits target advertising: A web server pulls the visitor's registration number, then sends details to AdServer, which will then choose the ad to present to the

Reflection about the discomfort Essay Example for Free

Reflection about the discomfort Essay When I met a stranger at a party, I said to myself I wouldnt be shy. I told him my life story and my opinions within 10 minutes of meeting him. How odd it seemed. And finally he escaped from me. This was not a good start of a relationship, from that I learned self-disclosure was a kind of communication which worked best a little at a time. I had to sensitive to the other persons needs and feeling, to be empathic. When I communicated with my boyfriend in the first week, I reminded myself I should practice self-disclosure and I gave me a license to blurt out everything to him. Several times he said to me, Youre doing that communication thing on me. From his reflection about the discomfort, I thought I was over disclosing. The next week, when I stayed with him, I paid more attention on listening to him, gave him chances to disclose, but he complained that he was disclosing more than I was. This time I made another mistake, I was underdisclosing. I understood that deciding when and how much personal information to disclose was not a simple case, if I couldnt handle well, not only I would lose the chance to make friend with that stranger, but also lose my boyfriend. I was so regret that I was not prepare well for this part in the methodology section. I should modify it. Then I went to do some reading and found the guideline for disclosure. Self disclosure is best when it is to the right person-often one who is capable of empathic understanding; to the right degree- you may decide to disclose all or part of your experience; for the right reasons-be sure your goal is to disclose yourself rather than to burden the other or show off; at the right time-in hours that are appropriate and when the other is not heavily burdened with his own need; and in the right place-in a location conducive to this kind of communication.(Bolton, 1986, p. 180) In the following days, I kept these guidelines in mind when I communicated and made a great effort in using disclosing, no complaints again and the relation between my boyfriend went even intimacy.  I was amazed how I was able to self disclose to my friend Jane after nearlly 3 weeks disclosing training. I opened myself to her and revealed things about my past that I very rarely talk about. I found she was able to relate to me and I even led the way for her to reveal things about herself. This gave us a great beginning. One behavior that has hindered my self-disclosure with her was when she told me she was not happy for me when I told her a serious mistake I have made before. Unfortunately, after she did that I have not been able to open myself up anymore. I didnt take confrontation too well and said nothing at all. I needed to change this by telling her how I felt when she said that to me. If I could do this it would be a big step for me. This was a problem that I didnt foresee, I should learn how to deal with confrontation, prepare for it. I kept a diary of my disclosing within these 3 weeks. I found I was easy to disclosure to women than men. I avoid interact with people with different culture, I rarely talked about my family, and I often pushed me to self-disclosing too much and this turned people off. A lot of problems involves in my skill, I need to learn more about confrontation, learn how much I should disclose and to whom the disclosures are made. These were not included in my initial plan, and I will add them in my follow up plan. Conclusion and reflection  1. Self-disclosure is a process of providing information to another individual. The information that is disclosed includes ones thoughts, feelings, past experiences, and future plans.  2. For me, self-disclosure was the hardest piece of the puzzle, I did not tell people who I really was because I was afraid that they would not like the real me. Plus I had the need to protect myself.  3. I think an ideal self-disclosure (my goal) involves openness, a desire   o get closer to another, and an implied trust in the person were revealing ourselves to. It also can increase self-acceptance. 4. The amount of information we disclose in our interpersonal relationships also influences our relationships. The Johari window is a model that helps us assess the type of information we disclose; whom we make disclosures to and the communication environment we find ourselves in. By using this model, I found I was a person I r who had a lot of hidden area and a little open area.  5. My relationship with my friend May was an example of using the social penetration theory. I thought I understood this theory and did quiet well with disclosing to May. Although the disclosing slowed down in the last week, it was due to the different background. From that, I knew disclosure happened frequently with people had common ground. 6. Although I overcome the mental barrier to communicate with the stranger, I still done badly. I fell in an extreme-overdisclosing and made him escape from me. I realized that self-disclosure couldnt be used as a mere device to force the other people into a relationship. It was a kind of communication which worked best a little at a time. I should sensitive to the other persons needs and feeling, to be empathic. 7. I failed to use self-disclosure with my boyfriend in the first two weeks, but with the help of the guidelines, I did better in the last week. During the first week, I made a same mistake (overdisclosing) again. I blurted out everything to him. After he reflected his uncomfortable, I forced myself to listen more, but still fell into another extreme- underdisclosing. In order to solve the problem, I found some guidelines and kept in mind in the following week and got a lot of benefit. 8. I done really well in disclosing to Jane, but a new problem arose. I didnt know how to deal with confrontation when she said she didnt like my past behavior. This hindered my disclosing and I couldnt open myself any more. The lack of prepare for confrontation leaded to my failure.  9. I thought the approach I adopted was quiet successful, such as prepare for disclosing and handle the anxiety, using a method to gradually work up to being more open.  10. I benefited a lot by keeping a diary about my training. From that, I discovered what feelings and needs I didnt disclose; which friendships grew the most. I also knew certain of my disclosures turn people off and what I was uncomfortable discussing certain things and who I avoid interacting with. 11. Prepared other for my change by telling them I would use a new communication skill gave me a lot of benefits. They would give me feedback and if I done badly, they wont easily get annoy.  12. There were many shortcomings in my approach. Such as ignore when and how much personal information to disclose, havent prepared for confrontation. Those problems made my disclosing failed.  13. I thought my origin goal was appropriate-became openness, got closer to another, and had an implied trust in the person were revealing ourselves to. My goal also included increasing my self-acceptance. After 3 weeks training, I found I was more open than before, I wouldnt always hide myself and I would like to share myself with the right person. I got closer to May, my boyfriend by disclosing. During the process of disclosing, a trust had built. I showed some trust in another by making a disclosure that had a little risky, when the other accepted and was supportive about my disclosure, trust was likely to be enhanced. Due to the acceptance by others, my self-acceptance enhanced.

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner :: essays research papers

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner Coleridge's poem â€Å"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner† is written about a Mariner telling his tale of sin and forgiveness to a small group of young men on their way to attend a wedding. The Mariner claims to be responsible for the deaths of everyone on board of a ship he once sailed because he killed a creature that was supposed to bring them the wind they needed to resume sailing after hitting a plateau in the ship’s movement. Through the writing style in â€Å"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,† Coleridge tries to convince the reader that the events told in the poem could possibly have been real, thus leaving the reader to partially believe the strange story and Coleridge is right to do so. The theme of â€Å"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner† is God’s forgiveness. The Mariner believes that God has forgiven him for his sins and is telling his tale to the young men on their way to a wedding. The Mariner explains that he killed an albatross, and the entire crew dies because of it. The Mariner, however, survives and asks God’s to forgive him for his sins. When the Mariner prays for forgiveness, the curse preventing the souls of the crew from entering Heaven is broken, the Mariner’s life is spared and Angels from Heaven escort the souls of the dead crewman to the afterlife. In closing, the whole point of the story becomes clear in the following lines. "Farewell, farewell! but this I tell To thee, thou Wedding Guest! He prayeth well, who loveth well Both man and bird and beast. "He prayeth best, who loveth best All things both great and small; For the dear God who loveth us, 03 He made and loveth all." The Mariner, whose eye is bright,

Analysis of The Astronomers Wife by Kay Boyle :: Astronomers Wife Kay Boyle Essays Papers

Analysis of The Astronomer's Wife by Kay Boyle In the "Astronomer's Wife" by Kay Boyle, something as simple as a conversation with a plumber about a stopped elbow is enough to trigger an awakening in Mrs. Katherine Ames. When Mrs. Ames realized that the plumber was talking about something she understood (the stopped elbow), she realized that her marital problems were not the result of a division betwwen the sexes; instead, she realized that some men, like the plumber, are as practical as she is, and that some other men, like her husband, scorn people like her because they are intellectually inclined. Previous to this discovery, Katherine did not realize that there were different kinds of men, and therefore she did not realize that she and her husband were mismatched. Furthermore, in her awakening, Mrs. Ames also discovers that she, like the plumber, occupies as valuable a place in society as the astronomer, for she does the "dirty" work to free people like her husband to have time to think and to discover. The scene in question takes place after Mrs. Ames has already noticed that the plumber has a few physical characteristics that match her own (such as blond hair), and she is talking to him as he descends into the earth. The scene begins immediately after the plumber says "I think something has stopped the elbow", because this phrase was one of the few things that a man has ever said that Mrs. Ames has understood. After the plumber has descended into the ground before the scene, Mrs. Ames is the only one left. She spends the entire duration of this scene sitting on the grass, silently thinking and revealing her thoughts to the audience. During her course of thinking, Mrs. Ames makes the important discovery that there is a whole race of practical people like herself, men and women alike. She knew that "when her husband spoke of height, having no sense of it, she could not picture it nor hear", but strangely enough, when another man who happened to be a plumer spoke of his work, "madness in a daily shape, as elbow stopped, she saw clearly and well". Mrs Ames finally realized during these thoughts that these were two men with two different ways of life, and perhaps her way of life suited the plumber's more than the astronomer's, in that she too could identify only with daily concerns. The division between people in her mind was no longer just between men and women; it was now the working and the thinking, those who "had always gone up, [and] others who went down, like the

Supply and Demand and Budget Line

TASK 1 Consider the following equation: MRSXY < PX/PY where MRS = marginal rate of substitution x and y are two goods P = price < = is less than {draw:frame} The graph above shown us the indifference curve budget line diagram which explaining the equation MRSXY < P X / PY. There are two ways to measure the consumer preferences or what the consumer wants. The first one is by trying to put a ‘value’ on the satisfaction a consumer obtains from consuming a ‘unit’ of a good. Consumers are assumed to be able measure utility in terms of a ‘util’. However, we cannot find the total utility by using this method. So we can use another way which is by ranking the product. We can say that the consumer is preferred good Y compared to good X. the indifference curve is a curve that shows consumption bundles that give the consumer the same level of satisfaction. So this means that the consumer is satisfied at any point if the indifference curves above. The slope of the indifference curves are downward sloping. For example, the consumer will satisfy when he buys 3 good X and 4 good Y. The meaning of the term budget constraint is what the consumer can afford to buy. The income of the consumer will determine how much he can buy in the market. So, the budget line in the graph above is showing how much good X and Y that the consumer affords to buy. If the slope of the budget line is higher, this means that the consumer afford to buy good X compare to good Y. While if the slope of the budget line is lower, the consumer afford to buy good Y compare to good X. From the graph, we can see that the consumer is not maximizing the satisfaction. This is because the indifference curves are inside the budget line and it intersect at two points which are a and b. At point b, the slope of the indifference curve (MRSxy ) is less than the slope of the budget line (Px/Py). While, at point a, the slope of the indifference curve (MRSxy ) is greater than the slope of the budget line (Px/Py). So the consumer does not maximizing the satisfaction for both point a and b. In order to maximize the satisfaction, the slope of the indifference curve must equal to the slope of the budget line. So at point b, the consumer should reduce the consumption of good X and increase the consumption of good Y until both slope of indifference curve and budget line will become the same. By switching spending away from good X towards good Y, the consumer will be able to reach a higher indifference curve. {draw:frame} From the graph, we can see that the indifference curve has shift and meet the budget line at the point c. at this point, the slope of the indifference curve and the budget line are the same. So the equation will change to [MRSXY = PX / PY]. At point c, the consumer satisfaction is at the highest place. The consumer choice is the product which been sold in the market. While, the individual demand for a product is the demand of a consumer on that product. The demand on a product will be higher if there are only small choices in the market. People tend to demand more for the product as they cannot find other product. TASK 2 *Definition of Price Elasticity of Demand (PEoD*) The price elasticity of demand is the measure of how responsive is the quantity demanded to a change in price. There are many types of elasticity in demand which will stand for different types of product in the market. In order to differentiate between them we need to state the definition and the ratio of the elasticity. Relatively Elastic Demand The relatively elastic demand is a demand relationship in which the percentage change in quantity demanded is large in absolute value than the percentage change in price. In other words the percentage change in quantity demanded is larger than the percentage change in price. {draw:frame} The ratio for the relatively elastic demand is 1< PEoD < Infinity Relatively Inelastic Demand The relatively inelastic demand is a demand that responds, somewhat, but not a great deal to change in price. In other words, the change in percentage change in price is larger than the percentage change in quantity demanded. {draw:frame} The ratio for the relatively inelastic demand is 0 < PEoD < 1 Unit Elastic Demand The unit elastic demand is a demand relationship in which the percentage change in quantity demanded is the same as the percentage in change of the price. {draw:frame} The ratio for the unit elastic demand is PEoD = 1 Perfectly Elastic Demand The perfectly elastic demand is a demand in which the quantity demanded drops to zero at the slightest in price. In other words, the quantity demanded will become zero if the seller increases the price of the product. While they will never reduce the price as it will reduce their normal profit. {draw:frame} The ratio for the perfectly elastic demand is PEoD = Infinity Perfectly Inelastic Demand The perfectly inelastic demand is a demand in which quantity demanded does not respond at all to the change in price. {draw:frame} The ratio for the perfectly inelastic demand is PEoD = 0 Calculating the Price Elasticity of Demand The formula to determine the price elasticity of demand is: PEoD = (% Change in Quantity Demanded)*/(*% Change in Price) Price (OLD) =9 Price (NEW) =10 Q Demand (OLD) =150 Q Demand (NEW) =110 Calculating the Percentage Change in Quantity Demanded [QDemand(NEW) – QDemand(OLD)] / QDemand(OLD) [110 – 150] / 150 = (-40/150) = -0. 2667 Calculating the Percentage Change in Price [Price(NEW) – Price(OLD)] / Price(OLD)] [10 – 9] / 9 = (1/9) = 0. 1111 PEoD = (% Change in Quantity Demanded)/(% Change in Price) PEoD = (-0. 2667)/(0. 1111) = -2. 4005 TASK 3 The product that I choose is tobacco. Both of the elasticity of demand and supply of tobacco is relatively inelastic. This is because the product will has an inelastic demand if the item is habit forming. As tobacco is a habit forming, it is relatively inelastic in demand. So if there is increase in price, the quantity demanded will not respond too much. While, the supply of the tobacco is relatively inelastic is because of the time period. As the tobacco is the agriculture product, it will take some times to grow it and get the product. So the producer cannot increase the quantity of supply although there are many demands for the tobacco. TASK 4 {draw:frame} The graph above has shown a market of tobacco with the relatively inelastic demand and supply curves. As we can see, the total surplus has reduced since the implementation of the tax. The benefit received by buyers in a market is measured by consumer surplus. The consumer surplus is the amount buyers are willingly to pay for the good minus the amount they actually pay for it. So the consumer surplus before the tax are (a + b + c). However, after the implementation of tax on the tobacco, the consumer surplus is only a. This means that the consumer needs to pay more after the implementation of tax. P in the graph stands for the price of tobacco before the tax. While, P*B* is the price that buyers need to pay after the tax has been implemented. The benefit received by sellers in a market is measured by producer surplus. The producer surplus is the amount of sellers received for the good minus their cost. So the producer surplus before the implementation of tax is (d + e + f). But, the producer surplus change after the implementation of tax, which became only f*. * This means that the seller received less profit after the tax implemented. **P*S in the graph is the price that seller received after the implementation of the tax. So this means that, the consumers and producers have to bear the tax burden after the tax has been implemented. Tax burden is the amount of tax suffered by individuals or organization. The tax burden for the consumer and seller may vary depends on the elasticity of the demand an d supply curves. Although the consumer and sellers seems to be burden by the tax, there is one party that gains benefit from it. It is the government because it has gain revenue from the tax. The tax revenue is the (b + d) in the graph above. From the revenue, the government can use it for other investment. However, the tax has also brought another disadvantage which is the deadweight loss. The deadweight loss is the reduction in total surplus that results from a tax. The deadweight loss in the graph is (c + e). The size of deadweight loss also depends on the elasticity of the demand and supply curves. If both of the curves become more elastic, then the size of the deadweight loss will become smaller. So in the conclusion the tax has given benefit to the government but brought disadvantages to the consumer and producer. REFERENCE LIST Mankiw, N. G. (2008). Ten Principles of Economics. In J. W. Calhoun, A. V. Rosenberg, M. Worls, J. Tufts, J. E. Thomas & K. Yanos (Eds. ), Principles of Economics. Canada: SOUTH-WESTERN CENGAGE Learning. Moffatt, M. (2010). Price Elasticity of Demand. _ _Retrieved April 26, 2010, from http://economics. about. com/cs/micfrohelp/a/priceelasticity. htm Webster, N. (2007). Economics_ _(3rd ed. ). Adelaide: Greg Eather and Associates, Publication Division.

The Rivalry Between Nomads and Settled People in Asia

The Rivalry Between Nomads and Settled People in Asia The relationship between settled peoples and nomads has been one of the great engines driving human history since the invention of agriculture and the first formation of towns and cities.  It has played out most grandly, perhaps, across the vast expanse of Asia. North African historian and philosopher Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406) writes about the dichotomy between townsfolk and nomads in The Muqaddimah.  He claims that nomads are savage and similar to wild animals, but also braver and more pure of heart than city dwellers.   Sedentary people are much concerned with all kinds of pleasures.  They are accustomed to luxury and success in worldly occupations and to indulgence in worldly desires.   By contrast, nomads go alone into the desert, guided by their fortitude, putting their trust in themselves.  Fortitude has become a character quality of theirs, and courage their nature. Neighboring groups of nomads and settled people may share bloodlines and even a common language, as with Arabic-speaking Bedouins and their citified cousins.  Throughout Asian history, however, their vastly different lifestyles and cultures have led to both periods of trade and times of conflict. Trade Between Nomads and Towns Compared with townspeople and farmers, nomads have relatively few material possessions.  Items they have to trade may include furs, meat, milk products, and livestock (such as horses).  They need metal goods such as cooking pots, knives, sewing needles, and weapons, as well as grains or fruit, cloth, and other products of sedentary life.  Lightweight luxury items, such as jewelry and silks, may have great value in nomadic cultures, as well.  Thus, there is a natural trade imbalance between the two groups. Nomads often need or want more of the goods that settled people produce than the other way around. Nomadic people have often served as traders or guides in order to earn consumer goods from their settled neighbors.  All along the Silk Road that spanned Asia, members of different nomadic or semi-nomadic peoples such as the Parthians, the Hui, and the Sogdians specialized in leading caravans across the steppes and deserts of the interior. They sold the goods in the cities of China, India, Persia, and Turkey.  On the Arabian Peninsula, the Prophet Muhammad himself was a trader and caravan leader during his early adulthood.  Traders and camel drivers served as bridges between the nomadic cultures and the cities, moving between the two worlds and conveying material wealth back to their nomadic families or clans. In some cases, settled empires established trade relations with neighboring nomadic tribes.  China often organized these relationships as a tribute. In return for acknowledging the Chinese emperors overlordship, a nomadic leader would be allowed to exchange his peoples goods for Chinese products.  During the early Han era, the nomadic Xiongnu were such a formidable threat that the tributary relationship ran in the opposite direction: the Chinese sent tribute and Chinese princesses to the Xiongnu in return for a guarantee that the nomads would not raid Han cities. Conflicts Between Settled People and Nomads When trade relations broke down, or a new nomadic tribe moved into an area, conflict erupted.  This might take the form of small raids on outlying farms or unfortified settlements.  In extreme cases, entire empires fell.  Conflict pitted the organization and resources of the settled people against the mobility and courage of the nomads.  The settled people often had thick walls and heavy guns on their side.  The nomads benefited from having very little to lose. In some cases, both sides lost when the nomads and city dwellers clashed.  The Han Chinese managed to smash the Xiongnu state in 89 CE, but the cost of fighting the nomads sent the Han Dynasty into an irreversible decline.   In other cases, the ferocity of the nomads gave them sway over vast swathes of land and numerous cities.  Genghis Khan and the Mongols built the largest land empire in history, motivated by anger over an insult from the Emir of Bukhara and by the desire for loot.  Some of Genghiss descendants, including Timur (Tamerlane) built similarly impressive records of conquest.  Despite their walls and artillery, the cities of Eurasia fell to horsemen armed with bows.   Sometimes, the nomadic peoples were so adept at conquering cities that they themselves became the emperors of settled civilizations.  The Mughal emperors of India were descended from Genghis Khan and from Timur, but they set themselves up in Delhi and Agra and became city dwellers.  They did not grow decadent and corrupt by the third generation, as Ibn Khaldun predicted, but they did go into a decline soon enough. Nomadism Today As the world grows more populated, settlements are taking over open spaces and hemming in the few remaining nomadic peoples.  Out of about seven billion humans on Earth today, only an estimated 30 million are nomadic or semi-nomadic.  Many of the remaining nomads live in Asia. Approximately 40 percent of Mongolias three million people are nomadic. In Tibet, 30 percent of the ethnic Tibetan people are nomads.  All across the Arab world, 21 million Bedouin live their traditional lifestyle.  In Pakistan and Afghanistan, 1.5 million of the Kuchi people continue to live as nomads.  Despite the Soviets best efforts, hundreds of thousands of people in Tuva, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan continue to live in yurts and follow the herds.  The Raute people of Nepal also maintain their nomadic culture, though their numbers have fallen to about 650. At present, it looks as though the forces of settlement are effectively squeezing out the nomads around the world.  However, the balance of power between city-dwellers and wanderers has shifted innumerable times in the past.  Who can say what the future holds? Sources Di Cosmo, Nicola. Ancient Inner Asian Nomads: Their Economic Basis and Its Significance in Chinese History. The Journal of Asian Studies, Vol. 53, No. 4, November 1994. Khaldun, Ibn Ibn. The Muqaddimah: An Introduction to History - Abridged Edition (Princeton Classics). Paperback, Abridged edition, Princeton University Press, April 27, 2015. Russell, Gerard. Why Nomads Win: What Ibn Khaldun Would Say about Afghanistan. Huffington Post, April 11, 2010.

Free Essays on Assumption of Risk

Assumption of Risk: Who is to Blame For Our Actions The doctrine of "assumption of risk" clearly defines the responsibility of all voluntary actions taken on by individuals, independent of the inherent risk or danger involved with such actions. Are we only to assume responsibility for the positive outcomes of our actions, without also accepting the negative outcomes as well? Most individuals only claim responsibility in cases in which they are fully responsible for their actions. Living within a country which houses a large amount of private enterprise, we often find ourselves relying on outside help. In many occasions we, the individual seeking assistance, hold the power to choose which avenue of help will be taken. In these cases in which we have the choice, should we not also be held responsible for the outcomes of our decisions, especially in cases in which we have been pre-warned about any inherent risks or dangers? For example, When we take it upon ourselves to drive on a private road, smoke cigarettes, work for a mining company, or fly on a discount airline at our own volition, do we tacitly consent to take responsibility for any outcome these actions may hold? The "assumption of risk" doctrine seems to ignore the fundamental obligation of entities to ensure their natural goals. The distinguishing factor in deciding responsibility in faultless cases which call on the "assumption of risk" doctrine is the control held by individuals after the situation has begun. In accordance, companies such as discount airlines and cigarette companies must take on the responsibility of completing their duties, while individuals who chose to work in a mine or drive on a private road must accept the responsibility of their actions to do so. All airlines hold the responsibility of transporting their customers from a point of origin to a previously designated destination. The person who agrees to buy a discount... Free Essays on Assumption of Risk Free Essays on Assumption of Risk Assumption of Risk: Who is to Blame For Our Actions The doctrine of "assumption of risk" clearly defines the responsibility of all voluntary actions taken on by individuals, independent of the inherent risk or danger involved with such actions. Are we only to assume responsibility for the positive outcomes of our actions, without also accepting the negative outcomes as well? Most individuals only claim responsibility in cases in which they are fully responsible for their actions. Living within a country which houses a large amount of private enterprise, we often find ourselves relying on outside help. In many occasions we, the individual seeking assistance, hold the power to choose which avenue of help will be taken. In these cases in which we have the choice, should we not also be held responsible for the outcomes of our decisions, especially in cases in which we have been pre-warned about any inherent risks or dangers? For example, When we take it upon ourselves to drive on a private road, smoke cigarettes, work for a mining company, or fly on a discount airline at our own volition, do we tacitly consent to take responsibility for any outcome these actions may hold? The "assumption of risk" doctrine seems to ignore the fundamental obligation of entities to ensure their natural goals. The distinguishing factor in deciding responsibility in faultless cases which call on the "assumption of risk" doctrine is the control held by individuals after the situation has begun. In accordance, companies such as discount airlines and cigarette companies must take on the responsibility of completing their duties, while individuals who chose to work in a mine or drive on a private road must accept the responsibility of their actions to do so. All airlines hold the responsibility of transporting their customers from a point of origin to a previously designated destination. The person who agrees to buy a discount...

Executive Compensation Telecom USA Essay Example

Executive Compensation Telecom USA Essay Example Executive Compensation Telecom USA Essay Executive Compensation Telecom USA Essay Contents Executive Summary Pay for performance remains an important driver for any organization which is ambitious and competitive. For this report the proxy statements of Compass(2012), Verizon(2012) and AtT(2013) were studied and salient similarities and differences were observed. I observed that the proxy statements of the telecoms/technology companies have stressed on creating shareholder value. In achieving this all the three have emphasized on high proportion of performance based pay. Clearly defined goals, grids and qualifying criteria have been illustrated with detail. This is how the company sends positive signals to the shareholders and the employees simultaneously. In all the three cases the compensation objective was around long- term goals and the interests of the companys shareholders, emphasis on managing the sustainability of the business and Align executives and shareholders interests. These objectives are supposed to be met by a compensation structure which has a balance between short and long term goal achievement (ATT), without incepting inappropriate risk taking (Compass). The compensation committee plays an important role in deciding compensation in terms of total compensation opportunity and the break-up of components of compensation. It also helps the board to recommends qualifying criteria and measures on which executives will be evaluated. Also some conclusion regarding the instrumentality of specific measures were reached. For example Compass compensation committee concluded that operating cash flow had the highest overall meaningful correlation to shareholder value over the long term. Also there are many metrics which help the company in aligning executives goals to its compensation policies. Metrics such as earnings per share, free cash flow, revenue, and return on invested capital connect compensation to company performance while total stockholder returns align executive pay with performance relative to key company peers. In deciding total compensation, the grouping of peers is an important activity of the compensation committee. The peers can be classified into these categories: Industry competitors in the same business (egg. For Compass Media and entertainment industry along with telecoms industry) Companies having comparable revenue and total market capitalization. Companies competing for same talent. Compass for example has recently acquired the entertainment company NBC Universal. This changed the peer group used for its compensation. The entertainment industry as well as the telecoms industry is now used in determining market position in compensation. For Verizon the competitors are 29 companies in based on market capitalization, net income, revenue and total employees) plus Verizons four largest industry competitors that are not included in the DOD Jones Industrial Average. For ATT companies are selected based on similarity to ATT in terms of size and/or industry, ability of the company to compete with ATT for talent, ND similarity to Jobs at ATT in terms of complexity and scope of officer positions. Compass has stressed more on in hand cash based incentive, and has not tied a large proportion of compensation to the stock based awards (compared to Verizon/ATT). But the cash based yearly bonus can be achieved only after a minimum performance threshold is achieved. This can be attributed to the higher risk involved in the recent times following their merger with Universal. In terms of total compensation they want to target a higher percentile than ATT and Verizon, sending a signal that Geiger risk should be seen as bigger opportunity. Some correction was also done after the compensation committee decided to include Media and Entertainment Industry in the peer comparison after this merger. Also, there is a unique way Compass analyses its peers compensation data. They view compensation expenses as The portion of the companys operating cash flow, free cash flow and operating income that we use to pay this compensation. This shows that they compare the relative proportion of compensation spending, not the absolute value while determining percentile position with respect to peers. Keeping long term hardheaded interest in mind the companies have set performance targets and provide compensation elements that closely align executives interests with those of stockholders. For example, at AT performance shares, which make up nearly 33% of target compensation for the CEO and the Named Executive Officers, are tied to multi-year Company performance and the companys stock price. In addition, ATT has executive stock ownership guidelines and retention requirements. Each of the Named Executive Officers meets or exceeds the minimum stock ownership guidelines. 1. 1 The following table gives a comparative description of the insemination information biblically available. ATT COMPASS VERIZON PEER GROUP USED TO DECIDE COMPENSATION 1) similarity to ATT in terms of size and/or industry, 2)ability of the company to compete with ATT for talent, 3) and similarity to Jobs at ATT in terms of complexity and scope of officer positions 1) Companies in the entertainment/media industry (CBS Corporation, News Corporation, Time Warner Inc. , Fiasco Inc. And The Walt Disney Company) 2) companies in the transmission/distribution industry (ATT Inc. , DIRECTIVE, Inc. , Quest Communications International Inc. , Sprint Next Corporation, Time Warner Cable, Inc. D Verizon Communications Inc. ) 3) general industry companies having comparable revenue and total market capitalization 1) 29 companies in the DOD Jones Industrial Average (similarly-sized companies other than Verizon, based on market capitalization, net income, revenue and total employees) 2) Plus Verizons four largest industry competitors that are not included in the DOD Jones Industrial 92% of the Chief Executive Officers compensation and, on average, 87% of other Named Executive Officer compensation is tied to Company performance, including stock price. Total performance-based compensation in 2011 was 54% to 74% for arioso named executive officers. Base salary: 10% Short Term Incentive : 20% Long Term incentive : 70% COMPONENTS OF SALARY 1) Base Pay 2) Short Term award 3) Long term in the form of RSI and US l)cash base salary; 2) annual (short-term) cash bonus 3)long-term equity-based compensation in the form of stock options 4) and RSI (which generally are performance-based) 1) Base salary 2) Short term yearly award earned on achieving goals 3) long-term incentive awards consist of Us and RSI. The 2011 Us are payable in cash and the 2011 RSI are payable in Verizon shares. SHORT TERM INCENTIVE or AWARDS CRITERIA Revenue, Earnings per Share, and Free Cash Flow (Year on year targets) On achieving a 5% to 6. 9% year-over-year increase in consolidated operating cash flow, the named executive officer would receive 67% of the service vested portion of the award; and on achieving a 7% or greater increase, the named executive officer would receive 100% of the service vested portion of the award. CRITERIA Adjusted PEPS Revenue 25% Free cash Flow Diversity 5% TARGETS An adjusted PEPS target range of $2. 8 to $2. 21; A consolidated total revenue target range of $112. 7 billion to $113. 4 billion; A unconsolidated free cash flow target range of $13. 8 billion to $15. 4 billion A diversity target of (I) having 50% of new hires and promotions at and above the manager level consist of minority and female candidates, and (it) directing at least 13% of the overall supplier spending at the c orporate level to minority- and female-owned or operated firms. LONG TERM INCENTIVE or AWARDS COMPOSITION 50% performance shares and 50% restricted stock units. CRITERIA: 75% on ROCCO 25% on TSR compared to the Standard and Poors 100 Index COMPOSED OF: both stock options and RSI, whereby each type of award presented approximately 50% of the total equity award by grant date value, as determined on a Black-Schools basis in the case of stock options and using the closing price of a share of the companys Class A common stock in the case of RSI. TSR during the three-year performance cycle must rank at least 16th, or at the 55th percentile (above median), among the members of the Related DOD Peers in order to earn 100% of the target number of US. TARGET PERCENTILE Executive officers base salaries are targeted to the market 50th percentile, total target cash compensation (base pay + short-term incentive) and long-term grants are regarded to the market 62nd percentile 1) Compensation to be competitive with the entertainment/media peer group and 2) at the 75th percentile for the communications and general industry peer groups. 50th percentile of compensation levels for similar positions at the Related DOD Peers AT 2 2. 1 Background During 2012, they continued to execute on their strategic goals, strengthened balance sheet, and expanded G network. AT delivered record performance of $127. 4 billion in revenues and $19. 4 billion in free cash flow (as defined on page 38), which allowed it to meet or exceed all of its short-term incentive targets. They also exceeded the goals for long-term program, delivering 43. 0% in total stockholder return over the three-year period ending December 31 , 2012, outperforming the DOD Jones Industrial Average and the Standard Poors 100 and 500 for that period. Companys executives reflect this strong performance and closely aligned the interests of management with those of stockholders. . 2 Compensation Philosophy Competitive and Market Based: Evaluate all components to attract, retain, and provide appropriate incentives for officers in a highly competitive talent market. Pay- or-performance: Tie a significant portion of compensation to the achievement of Company and business unit goals Balanced Short- and Long-Term Focus: Ensure that compensation programs and packages provide an appropriate bala nce between the achievement of short- and long-term performance objectives, with a clear emphasis on managing the sustainability of the business. Alignment with Stockholders: Set performance targets and provide compensation elements that closely align executives interests with those of stockholders. For example, performance shares, which make up nearly 33% of target compensation for the CEO and the Named Executive Officers, are tied to multi-year Company performance and the companys stock price. In addition, AT has executive stock ownership guidelines and retention requirements. Each of the Named Executive Officers meets or exceeds the minimum stock ownership guidelines. Alignment with Generally Accepted Approaches 2. The achievements for 2012 Stockholder Returns 17. 5% total stockholder return outperforming the DOD Jones Industrial Average and the Standard Poors 100 and 500 Returned $23 billion in cash to stockholders, Increased the quarterly dividend for the 29th consecutive year Financial Performance Strength Record $127. 4 billion in consolidated revenues Approximately 80% of revenues from ongoing operations in 2012 cam e from the companys growth drivers wireless, hireling data and managed IT services growing nearly 6% Record $39. Billion in cash from operations, #1 in the industry Record $19. 4 billion in free cash flow (cash from operations of $39. 2 billion minus construction and capital expenditures of $19. 7 billion), which is one of the factors the company uses in determining the companys short-term incentive awards for executive officers Invested approximately $20 billion in capital expenditures and picture purchases to expand and upgrade the companys network capabilities for customers in the United States and around the globe Refinanced $12 billion in debt to take advantage of historically low interest rates 2. The highlights of 2012 compensation are: Pay for Performance 92% of the Chief Executive Officers compensation and, on average, 87% of other Named Executive Officer compensation is tied to Company performance, including stock price. Stock Ownership Guidelines All executive officer s meet or exceed the guidelines, which count only vested shares. Mr Stephenson holds shares and deferred shares valued in excess of 22 times his salary; well above his required 6 times multiple. Hold Until Retirement Executive officers must now hold 25% of the shares they receive from incentive, equity, and option awards, net of taxes, until one year after they leave the company. Mitigate Risk in Compensation Programs The Committee reviews a risk analysis of the companys incentive-based compensation programs annually and believes that the companys programs do not create risks that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse impact on the company. Dividend Equivalents Payable at the End of the Performance Period and Only on Earned Performance Shares. 2. 5 Target for 2015 is Expand G LET to 300 million people by end-of-year 2014 Bring fiber to 1 million additional business customer locations by end-of-year 201 5 Expand the availability of IP broadband, including I-I-verse, to approximately 75% of customer locations in the companys hireling service area by end-of-year 201 5 2. Break Up of total compensation opportunity Base Salary: This is decided according to market value for his or her Job. In 2012 there was a correction of +2. 4%. This increment was based on performance and actual salary compared to market. Short term target: Based on individual performance; contribution to overall Company results; and attainment of business unit goals, including financial, customer service, and growth targets.

Globalization and Business IT Exam Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Globalization and Business IT Exam - Assignment Example Business to Consumer (B2C) Business to Employees (B2E) and Consumer to Consumer (C2C), the archaic methodology of conducting business has been redefined. The most striking advancement brought upon by the advancement in information technology is the drastic modification in the communication norms. Businesses are now able to communicate with its internal, external and connected stakeholders more conveniently, thus saving precious time and cost. Internet has played the most prominent part in abridging the distance. By using e-commerce, companies of all types are able to explore new business ventures in the form of new and similar market segments and lucrative business opportunities. Distance in no more a hurdle. Since the internet never sleeps, customers have the privilege of doing transactions 24-hours of the day, 365-days of the year. Bad weather or labor problems will not prevent the customers from visiting the store and placing their orders. From global perspective, the introduction of electronic data interchange (EDI) has standardized the language of business all across the globe. According the Advantages of EDI, using these industry standards, for transmitting data related to commercial transactions, the manufacturer and the supplier are easily and quickly able to complete a business transaction. In order to objectively evaluate the role of information technology for all businesses, its role can be divided into three major aspects which can prove to be vital for any business enterprise Support of its business processes and operations Support of decision making by its employees and managers Supports of its strategies for competitive advantage (O’Brien and Marakas 2008) An organization operating in global environment strives to implement the above mentioned traits in its corporate strategy and thus reaping maximum benefits. Multinational organization uses IT in order to integrate its various strategic business processes and operations such as keeping re cord of purchases and sales, automating the inventory record system or maintaining transaction history of the customers in order to forecast their demand in future. IT also provides the managers and those charged with governance several tools which assist them in making apt decisions. These decisions might include the addition or deletion of products from the current product line, what are the projects which are likely to yield positive cash flows in the future and identification of the lucrative investments. In today’s world, to obtain a clear strategic advantage over the competitors, a company needs to align its corporate strategy keeping in consideration the information technology requirements. The use of strategic information system has tremendously uplifted the quality of product and services offered by different companies and have immensely assisted in obtaining competitive advantage. A company can only survive if it develops strategies which are sufficient to counter t he prevailing competitive threats in the market. Competitive forces can be analyzed through Porter’s five forces model which are illustrated in the figure below In today’s dynamic market, not only the companies are expending sufficient resources in countering the prevailing rivals in the market, but efforts have also been diverted towards establishing barriers which will stop the new entrants into the market. The internet has created several ways through which new entrants can enter into the market more easily and quickly and with considerably less

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Case Study - Essay Example about Vioxx’s lack of significant side effects. FDA is also legally liable for not requesting and analysing Vioxx’s safety from Merck’s clinical trials. Merck is ethically and moral responsible for ensuring that health care practitioners are aware of Vioxx’s use. According to Lawrence, Weber and Post (263), Merck’s failure to divulge the drug’s potential to increase blood pressure was motivated by the need to gain a competitive advantage over the manufacturers of VIGOR. This was due to fact that VIGOR had less potential for aggravating high blood pressure in its users. Lawrence, Weber and Post (162) cite the need for FDA to appear as a functional agency despite the United States’ increasingly lacklustre performance in producing noticeable and economically drugs over the last decade in pharmacology. This makes the FDA a significant stakeholder in Merck’s success with Vioxx, which made it susceptible to errors of omission and collusion. FDA’s mandate to authorize and approve new drugs into the US market makes it a legally responsible for any damages that might have been caused by Vioxx. Merck is also legally liable as the originator and supplier of drug with questionable side effects. Not only does Merck and FDA took part in actions that serve to break the set out laws in the constitution, but they also go against societal morals and ethics. The fact that Vioxx’s sale and distribution was halted only in the US, and continued in other countries is ethically

Dyscalculia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dyscalculia - Essay Example The Math equivalent of Dyslexia. So what exactly is Dyscalculia and how can educators help ease the stress of the learning disability on the student diagnosed with the handicap? The National Center for Learning Disabilities defines Dyscalculia as â€Å"a term referring to a wide range of life-long learning disabilities involving math. There is no single form of math disability, and difficulties vary from person to person and affect people differently in school and throughout life â€Å" (NCLD, 2006). The 2006 NCLD report indicated that Dyscalculia is a learning problem that can be spotted in a child at a very young age. Some of the symptoms of Dyscalculia include â€Å" Difficulty in recalling numbers, trouble with the concept of time, poor sense of direction, poor mental math ability, and difficulty in playing strategy games of any sort†. (NCLD, 2006) Their research also pointed out that teachers have the duty to help any of their students whom they suspect of having Dyscalculia by identifying the student and moving him to an Inclusive Classroom setting in order to insure that the child will not feel the pressures of having to keep up in the Math lessons of the rest of the class before he is ready to do so. (NCLD, 2006) This is something that should not be difficult to do since the teachers can use a specially designed assessment test on possible Dyscalculia students in order to confirm their suspicions as educators. It is highly important that students suffering from Dyscalculia be moved to an inclusive classroom setting before their fear of math sets in. This is to insure that the child will not unconsciously reject any form of help in Math studies that is offered to him in the form of tutorials. Even though the illness is not one that is curable, Steinbach and Doughty (2008) reported that it could still be possible for students with Dyscalculia to lead normal educational lives provided the full court press of educators, tutors, and parents exists in

Managing Financial Resources in Health and Social Care Essay

Managing Financial Resources in Health and Social Care - Essay Example The essay presents how various aspects of financial resources should be managed in health and social care. It is the responsibility of the management to ensurethat funding is available to meet the daily needs of the organization. In the cause of events, finance may be needed in order to invest in equipment stocks, pay employees, equipment and cater for sales made on credit. If not well taken care of, sources of finance may end up dry; this may make an institution to be in financial jeopardy. Financial control plays a critical role in helping the business meets its objectives.As a manager, my role is to ensure that all these are achieved. Financial shortfalls arise when an organization cannot pay its bills on time due to lack of cash. As a manager I have been oriented to be proactive about financial shortfalls while upholding an account for contingency all the time. Through review of BUPA’s cash flow for the last six months, the company is capable to determine the cash flow in terms of expenditure and income; this aids the company in reserving cash needed for purposes of expenditure for the subsequent six months. After realizing the company’s assets, the company has a well-planned schedule on how to pay its suppliers to avoid conflicts with respective suppliers. The company also encourages early payments from the customer by offering discounts on such payments; this increases the chances of early cash availability. Payment of suppliers on a scheduled basis helps the company to avoid shortfalls since suppliers get their due especially when the funds are available. Fraud is an obvious threat to organization’s resources and therefore must be a concern to all employers and employees within a specific jurisdiction (Petrucelli 2002). In the event of fraud, managers are expected to set good example by conforming fully to procedures and controls. As a manger, quick action is necessary to avoid any further loss bearing in mind that this is just an al legation and until the outcome of investigation is determined. Movement and preservation of evidence to a safe place or location is vital where practicable. Both internal auditor and director of finance are supposed to be notified. Prompt and vigorous investigation should be carried out; after that, report findings should be forwarded to both internal auditor and director of finance. If possible consult with the appropriate departments concerned or involved. Notification to security agents should be carried out by the manager following consultation with the executives of the BUPA at National Director Level. As some may put it, coming up with a budget may be easy, sticking to it is the hard part. A well planned budget has little no impact without willpower and close monitoring (Amey 1979). A system for recording expenses and producing reports should be in place. As a manger, insisting on regular monitoring reports is way of ensuring that whatever was projected in the budgets is follo wed to the latter. Through monitoring reports, it makes it easy to determine actual spending at a particular period of the month compared to what was projected in the budget. The level of expenditure should be documented and clear reports drawn from them; the concerned departments should be informed so as to get their input on the same. The audit committee should review the reports. After conclusion, there should be immediate action taken

Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) formula 1 PowerPoint Presentation

Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) formula 1 - PowerPoint Presentation Example To begin with, cell Phones have got many different features and purposes that have helped the society in various ways. The primary features of Cell Phones especially Smartphone include Internet application services and money transfer services (Vats Web). Most current account customers can instantly send or receive cash using their smart phones. An individual with a smart phone can accept credit card payments quickly, securely from anywhere. This feature, which is easy to set up, allows a user to key transactions and adds a credit card swiper to take advantage of low rates. Smartphone allows use of master account by linking many accounts to create an enterprise level solution. These features make it easier to do business from any corner of the world. Customers with Smartphone can now scan in their checks deposit from anywhere. The issue of mailing checks or making queues at the ATM is long overdue to Smartphone users using the Mobile PC deposit app. In addition, cell Phones have numerous internet application features that have to a great extent benefited their users. Smartphone uses web browsers of very high quality that can be used to browse internet with ease compared to other standard phones (Vats Web). The Smartphone can be connected to the laptops to access the internet and some Smartphones have expandable memories and powerful processors that help in storing large media data and can be used to connect to stream media from internet media providers. Smartphone, by using app such as Open Garden allows users to share mobile web access by forming a mesh network by connecting it to laptops. Interestingly, a Smartphone user can participate in teleconferencing by using noise cancelling handset to reduce noise and using the Smartphone timer to manage the teleconferencing duration. Moreover, the big memory in the Smartphone and powerful processors allow users to download songs games and videos anytime (Vats Web). Some Cell Phones enable live streaming

Managing Financial Resources in Health and Social Care Essay

Managing Financial Resources in Health and Social Care - Essay Example The essay presents how various aspects of financial resources should be managed in health and social care. It is the responsibility of the management to ensurethat funding is available to meet the daily needs of the organization. In the cause of events, finance may be needed in order to invest in equipment stocks, pay employees, equipment and cater for sales made on credit. If not well taken care of, sources of finance may end up dry; this may make an institution to be in financial jeopardy. Financial control plays a critical role in helping the business meets its objectives.As a manager, my role is to ensure that all these are achieved. Financial shortfalls arise when an organization cannot pay its bills on time due to lack of cash. As a manager I have been oriented to be proactive about financial shortfalls while upholding an account for contingency all the time. Through review of BUPA’s cash flow for the last six months, the company is capable to determine the cash flow in terms of expenditure and income; this aids the company in reserving cash needed for purposes of expenditure for the subsequent six months. After realizing the company’s assets, the company has a well-planned schedule on how to pay its suppliers to avoid conflicts with respective suppliers. The company also encourages early payments from the customer by offering discounts on such payments; this increases the chances of early cash availability. Payment of suppliers on a scheduled basis helps the company to avoid shortfalls since suppliers get their due especially when the funds are available. Fraud is an obvious threat to organization’s resources and therefore must be a concern to all employers and employees within a specific jurisdiction (Petrucelli 2002). In the event of fraud, managers are expected to set good example by conforming fully to procedures and controls. As a manger, quick action is necessary to avoid any further loss bearing in mind that this is just an al legation and until the outcome of investigation is determined. Movement and preservation of evidence to a safe place or location is vital where practicable. Both internal auditor and director of finance are supposed to be notified. Prompt and vigorous investigation should be carried out; after that, report findings should be forwarded to both internal auditor and director of finance. If possible consult with the appropriate departments concerned or involved. Notification to security agents should be carried out by the manager following consultation with the executives of the BUPA at National Director Level. As some may put it, coming up with a budget may be easy, sticking to it is the hard part. A well planned budget has little no impact without willpower and close monitoring (Amey 1979). A system for recording expenses and producing reports should be in place. As a manger, insisting on regular monitoring reports is way of ensuring that whatever was projected in the budgets is follo wed to the latter. Through monitoring reports, it makes it easy to determine actual spending at a particular period of the month compared to what was projected in the budget. The level of expenditure should be documented and clear reports drawn from them; the concerned departments should be informed so as to get their input on the same. The audit committee should review the reports. After conclusion, there should be immediate action taken

Managing People ,Info & knowledge Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Managing People ,Info & knowledge - Assignment Example An example of this is the observation that Terry Cole makes that Veronica has a tendency to talk in ‘management terms’ when she does not know what she is talking about. Because she is not aware of what she does not know (as Terry puts it), Veronica risks being blind to alternatives and considering only her own opinion. She also generates conflict with other members of staff, as she is attempting to gain power for herself and her department through the proposed changes. She would like to see the HR department have a bigger role and be more integrated into the company; however, not everyone else agrees that this is desirable. Another person in the case study who exhibits expert power is Terry Cole. Terry is the head of information systems and acts as a liaison to external contractors as well as being responsible for the information and networking systems within the company. Like Veronica, he is very knowledgeable about his field of expertise. He has a tendency to confuse o ther managers by excessive use of technical language, and does not speak up about his own opinions. For example, he is concerned about the project that Veronica is proposing, as he does not believe that she knows the entire situation, and has not throughout about how her proposal will affect other systems within the company. He considers that Mike is too easily influenced into decisions; however, he is not prepared to confront Mike concerning this. Although both Terry and Veronica could be considered to have expert power, the differ in personality and in leadership styles. Veronica is more active than Terry in trying to gain power for herself, and she is also more confrontational in general.... The present study would focus on power as the ability that one individual or group of individuals has to affect control or change over a second individual or group of individuals. This control or change can come in the form of behaviour, attitudes, objectives, needs, opinions or values. Five general types of power are recognised, legitimate, expert, referent, coercive and reward. One issue that arises when any type of change is occurring is that the power of individuals comes into conflict. Each person aims to protect their position of power, and in many cases gain more. Because of this, the types of power that are exhibited in a corporation can have a substantial impact on leadership and the way that changes are implemented. A business has many different components that work together collectively to produce the products and services that the company offers. One aspect of the development of information systems is that each person views the problem from a different perspective. Becaus e of this, they see different approaches as being optimal. In order to understand, and then solve the problem, it must be examined from all potential perspectives. Selective attention is a psychological approach that considers why people pay attention to some factors and not others. There are many different factors that affect selective attention, some of which are external and others are internal. External factors are the stimulus and the context.

Personal Philosophy of Education Essay Example for Free

Personal Philosophy of Education Essay Education is an important part of growth of the individual. Education can mean a lot of things. One of the definitions of education is the experience of the individual learning and gaining knowledge while inside the structured educational system. Today, one of the strongest beliefs when it comes to education is that learning starts during the early childhood years of the individual. Because of that, education philosophies have strongly revolved around this particular idea. This in turn has created many different perspectives and ideas in learning and education. The three important aspects of this philosophy on education are hinged on the consideration of children, teaching and learning. Generally, the philosophy is about the belief that children should be exposed to learning with focus on two different areas as soon as they are in the age fit for school-based learning. This usually ranges from five to seven years old onwards, depending on the mental, emotional and psychological disposition of the individual. This philosophy of education puts important consideration to the differences among individual children. This means younger children already fit for structured learning is not discouraged from starting even at a younger age. Those who are not yet fully ready are not discouraged either but will be the target of additional stimulation to be at par with the capabilities of those who are in the same age bracket as the child is. This philosophy in education is inspired by the Montessori Method. The belief of this method is that the children all possess natural inner guides inside them. The structured academic learning experience only acts as a means to provide for material and additional assistance to the children as they learn by themselves through their instincts, something that the creator of the Montessori approach recognized through observation. Montessori developed a new philosophy of education based upon the intuitive observation of children (Lillard, 1988, p. 29). In using the Montessori approach to creating the philosophy of education, the approach and perspective towards learning is strongly influenced by the ideals of Montessori approach. Examples are the treatment in learning, its ideas about children and the role of school and education, etc. , using the Montessori results in the consideration and inclusion of the learning theories that this particular approach entails. In this paradigm of teaching style and educational philosophy, the teacher takes the role of the mature overseer. In realization of the ability of the children to naturally learn via their experiences in the environment, the teacher makes sure that children are placed in an environment free from obstacles that could hamper, hinder, impair or impact negatively their learning experience. This approach is more focused on preparing the environment wherein the children are, for most of the time, left to their own devices to learn via experiential processes, and, when necessary providing the necessary and sufficient intervention. The philosophy of education is focused on the belief that what the children need to learn (in communication, in mathematics, in logic development, in interpersonal skills, and in other academic and non-academic components of child education) can be found in the childs experiential learning in a controlled environment where the learning experience has the potential to reach its optimum growth and development. The philosophy of education in this particular condition puts importance in the instincts of the child, in the effort to encourage the children to develop their instincts and to not put a stupor on such natural capacity which is crucial and important for long term learning. Perspective on Children This philosophy of education sees children as individuals who are created with the natural ability for learning. However, because of their lack of experience as well as necessary knowledge to make themselves fully capable and full developed individuals, they need to undergo educational experience beginning at their young years. Children is viewed not as individuals who need to be spoon-fed with things that can improve their own knowledge and skill set. Rather, they are individuals who need to be guided especially in their learning stages so that they can develop as capable, competent, learned and mature individuals in the future. Children are not viewed as entities that are commanded to follow. Rather, they are individuals whose own self compass is sufficient for them to move in the direction they need and want to since they are created with the natural tendencies for learning and knowledge development. They are not robots with minds that are like computers programs that can be tweaked, altered and changed depending on the perspective and disposition of the educational institution. On the other hand, the main responsibility of the school and its teachers is to make sure that each of the autonomous and independent minds be able to grow and develop towards each individual’s own complex and unique entity. Children are individuals who are sufficiently equipped, physiologically, but nonetheless requires intervention if only for the sake of maximizing, harnessing and developing the potential that each child has. Perspective in Teaching The teacher or teaching component of this philosophy of education is about the role of teachers and the teaching process as a tool. It guides and provides necessary intervention sufficient enough to guide the children into learning and knowledge building but not excessive enough to dictate the educational experience and the learning process of the child. This is considering the fact that the child is depended upon to use his/her natural instincts for learning. Perspective in Learning The learning perspective of this philosophy in education revolves around the central idea that learning is something that is natural to an individual, something that he or she experiences even when the individual is at his or her very young age. In this philosophy of education, learning is something that should be experienced by the child by allowing the child to interact with his or her environment, the creation and set up of which is a result of the conscious effort of the teacher and the school. Learning is something that comes naturally. Learning results to knowledge and information set in an individual to which the school and the teacher has a strong influence on, especially in guaranteeing the absorption of information that the child needs to know during the learning process. Reference Lillard, P. P. (1988). Montessori: A Modern Approach. New York: Schocken Books.

Investigation on a variation of the Stroop test

Investigation on a variation of the Stroop test The role of automatic and controlled processing was examined in an experiment looking at the allocation of processing resources between the two. Previous research found that when a word is written in the same ink as the colour the word denotes, it takes longer to state the colour of these words than if the words are colour neutral i.e. not the name of a colour. In the present experiment the type of word used was manipulated, between colour associated and colour neutral words. The results showed that there was a significant difference between the completion times of the two conditions which provided further support for the idea that automatic processes can interfere with controlled ones. Introduction The cognitive process of attention is said by psychologists to be how an individual processes the information that they receive from their day to day environment and how it is selected to be stored. That is to say that not all information that we obtain from daily life is seen as important for storage, it is essentially a selection process in which the most relevant information is chosen to be retained. William James(1890) believed attention to be dependent upon an allocation of cognitive processing resources(James,(1890),p9). The idea that all actions implore the use of processing resources to some extent, and is reliant upon the amount of resources available to an individual is known as a controlled process. Up until more recent years it was believe that no demand was placed upon these resources when the processes were automatic i.e. occurring without conscious awareness. These automatic responses were thought to use up less processing resources due to the lack of conscious effort involved, thus leaving resources free to attend to other stimuli. Thus essentially attentional processing has to be divided between the two. This was termed the two-process theory by Shiffrin and Schneider((1977),p21). Researchers felt that this appeared to be a very useful concept as essentially it would leave more resources free but were interested to see at what cost. J.R. Stroop(1935) was one of these researchers(Stroop(1935),p21). He carried out an experiment into the relationship between automatic and controlled processes. This consisted of two conditions, in one participants were given a set of colour name words written in coloured ink but never matched to the colour ink they were written in. e.g. the word yellow written in blue ink. This is known as the Stroop condition. In the other the participants were given a set of neutral words e.g. the word rat all written in the same colour inks as in the previous condition. The participants were required to name the colour ink in which the words were written as fast as possible. It was found that participants could state the colour of the words in the neutral condition more rapidly than in the Stroop condition, leading Stroop to conclude that peopl e are inclined to read the colour the word is portraying rather than the one it is written in. This is said by Stroop to suggest that the automatic process of reading can hinder the controlled process of naming the ink. It also shows that automatic processes are not necessarily free as researchers once believe and can on fact be influenced by conscious strategies such as naming the colour in which the word is written. Many variations of the Stroop test have been carried out since the original to further test individuals attention and the allocation of resources in both controlled and automatic processing. One such variation is the reverse Stroop test.(Wikipedia) In this experiment there were still two conditions; one where the participant was given a list of colour words and had to point to a block of colour which matched the colour word stated. The second condition was the same as in the original Stroop test where the colour ink the word was written in had to be stated. It was found that it took on average 7 seconds longer to state the colours of the words aloud than it did to simply point to a block of colour that matched it. It was concluded that when the colour of the word stated differed from the colour ink it was written it the automatic process of reading the word again interferes with the controlled process of naming the ink colour. It was also discovered that this can be controlled but th at then a time delay is incurred. This idea that automatic processes do rely on resources just like controlled process, but that they occur without conscious awareness is still open to debate as despite the vast amounts of research done on this topic it still remains to be seen if the Stroop effect only occurs with colour words. The idea that it is not only colour words that cause an integration between automatic and controlled processes is explored in the present experiment, by testing a set of colour- related words against a set of non-colour related words rather than a collection of coloured words printed in either black ink or opposing colours. The hypothesis was that people take longer to state the colour ink in which 30 words are written when the words are colour- associated words rather than colour-neutral words. This is a one-tailed hypothesis. The null hypothesis is that there will be no difference in the time taken to state the words in each condition, and if there is it is due to chance. Methods Design The design of this experiment was within-participants as the same set of participants were used to acquire the data in both conditions. The independent variable was the colour associated words. This consisted of two conditions, a colour associated word condition (condition 1) and a non-colour associated condition (condition 2). In the colour associated condition (condition 1), participants were timed to see how long it took them to state the colour ink of 30 colour associated words when written in opposing colours. E.g. plum written in orange. In the second condition the same procedure was followed but with the participants stating the colour ink of non-colour associated words. E.g. plan written in blue. The dependant variable was the time taken to complete each task, measured with a stopwatch to the nearest second. Several things were done to try and control for any confounding variables. Firstly, all participants were given the same set of instructions in order to prevent them gain ing a different interpretation of what was being expected of them. Another thing that was done was to ensure that none of the participants could confer during the time in which the experiment was taking place, thus helping to prevent them from incurring demand characteristics. Participants also took the two conditions in different orders to help control for practice effects. Finally, all participants were shown the exact same copies of the stimuli which made it easier to ensure that this is not a reason for any differences that may have occurred. Participants Twenty five participants took part in this experiment. 16 of these were recruited by a researcher at the Open University and consisted of their friends and family. The other 9 were recruited through asking friends and family of the researcher. The age of the participants ranged from 17 to 69 and was made up of 12 males and 13 females. Materials A stopwatch accurate to the nearest second was used to time how long it took each participant to state the colour the words were written in. The visual stimuli presented in each condition consisted of 30 words placed into two columns on an A4 piece of paper. For condition 1 these consisted of 6 different words (blood,plum,carrot,sky,grass and lemon) written in 6 different colours (red,orange,blue,green,yellow,and purple). The word was never written in the correct colour i.e. sky would never be blue. In the second condition a different set of 6 words was used (plan,sty,ledge,grade,career and blame). These were written in the same 6 colours as the words in condition 1. In each condition each word was used 5 times and presented in a random order. A set of each stimuli is shown in the appendicies (appendix 1). A set of standardized instructions was also used to explain what was required of each participant (appendix 2). Finally each participant was required to complete a consent form bef ore carrying out the tasks (appendix 3). Procedures Each participant was asked if they would be willing to take part in a psychology experiment looking at cognitive processes, that would take about 5 minutes of their time. The ones who agreed to were given a consent form to fill in stating that they were willing to take part. They were then tested one at a time with their age and gender being recorded before being read the instructions as to how the experiment would work. i.e. that they would be shown a list of words and were required to state the colour the word was written in whilst being timed to state all 30 colours. They were also told that there would be two conditions and that the same procedure was required for each. (instructions appendix 2). Once all of this was understood and the participant had asked anything they wanted to they were given the words for condition 1. The stopwatch was started as they stated the first colour and stopped after they had stated the 30th. This time was recorded in the same table as used to recor d the participants age and gender earlier in the experiment.. The same was then repeated for condition 2 and the time recorded. The order in which the participants carried out the two conditions varied. Once all of this was completed the participant was given a debrief about the nature of the experiment and asked if they wanted to ask anything or needed anything. They were also made aware again of their right to withdraw at any point after the experiment should they decide they are uncomfortable with their data being use, and of the fact that their data would remain anonymous should they allow it to be used. Results The one-tailed research hypothesis was that people take longer to state the colour ink in which 30 words are written, when the words are colour- associated words rather than colour-neutral words. This was measured with a stopwatch accurate to the nearest second (appendix 4 raw data). Table 1-Paired -Samples T-test data Mean N Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean Pair 1 Colour associated words 25.6190 21 4.95456 1.08117 Colour-neutral words 22.9048 21 3.94848 .86163 As can be seen from table 1 above, the mean response time for the two conditions was fairly different with the mean for the colour- associated words being 2.7 seconds slower than the speed for the colour-neutral words. This difference can further be seen from the error bar chart below(graph 1). Graph 1 shows that we can have 95% confidence that the population mean for condition 1 (the colour associated words) will lie within :- 1.08117 x 1.96 = 2.12 Therefore the lower bound is 25.62-2.12= 23.50 seconds Upper bound is 25.62+2.12=27.74 seconds Or 25.6 2Â ± 2.12 seconds Graph 1 also shows that we can have 95% confidence that the population mean for condition 2 (the colour neutral words) will lie within :- .86163 x 1.96 = 1.69 Therefore the lower bound is 22.9 1.69 = 21.21 seconds Upper bound is 22.9 + 1.69 = 24.59 seconds Or 22.9 Â ± 1.69seconds Therefore, although it appears from the experiment that when condition 2 is used the individuals can read the words more quickly, this cannot be confirmed with any confidence. It is possible that in reality that condition 1 could result in those being test reading the words than under condition 2. For example, if the real mean of the whole population is towards the upper bound for condition 2 and towards the lower bound for condition 1, the individuals will be able to complete the test more quickly under condition 1.if there was no overlap between the bounds for each condition it would have been possible to say with 95% confidence that one condition allowed the individuals to complete the test more quickly. A paired t-test was conducted on the data which showed that (t(30)=4.214;p=

Star Trek :: essays research papers

"Star Trek": A Chronicle Space... the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship "Enterprise." Its continuing mission: to explore strange new worlds... to seek out new life and new civilizations... to boldly go where no one has gone before... The above blurb has been used to introduce the television show Star Trek: The Next Generation. The show's run has elapsed that of it's predecessor, the original Star Trek. The original spawned six movies and endless conventions, and both have given way to action figures for children, national clubs, and other various paraphernalia. This is the chronicle to end all chronicles: the full analysis and timeline of one of the most popular television programs in contemporary American history. Americans are fascinated with the possibility of intelligent life somewhere else in the universe; this has been displayed in books and plays and movies too numerous to mention, not to mention the accounts of "everyday people" who say that they have encountered aliens and unidentified flying objects (UFOs). This fascination became so great that in the late 1970s, President Carter decided to launch an investigation within NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) to uncover the mystery of UFOs and intelligent life in the universe. Science fiction plays upon this obsession. The great science fiction writers have sent our imaginations into overload with scores of stories to tell. The two most popular futuristic science fiction stories, Star Trek and Star Wars, both have similar characteristics. Both involve many different species of life (our nearest equivalent would be "races"). The Ferengi, Vulcans, humans, Betazoids, Klingons, Romulans, Cardassians, androids, and Bjorans are in the Star Trek series (which includes the original television series, the six movies, the NextGeneration television series, and the television series Deep Space Nine), while the Star Wars movie trilogy includes humans, Wookies, Jawas, Ewoks, droids, Tusken Raiders, and a host of various other strange and exotic looking lifeforms. Each species has its own heritage, customs, beliefs, and socioeconomic status. I am sure that each science fiction storyline has it's own unusual breed of lifeform, but this paper will examine only a particular science fiction storyline which has mushroomed into a cultural obsession. I choose not to focus on the works of Ray Bradbury and the like; I'm sure that they are superb writers. (A fantastic example is Bradbury's "A Sound of Thunder," which is the probable predecessor to all of today's hype surrounding the film Jurassic Park and the children's character Barney the dinosaur.) However, I've never heard of a Ray Bradbury convention, or action figures based on characters he's created. Star Trek appeared in the right place at the right time.

Relationship of Self-Esteem to Objective Success: Is it a Cause or Cons

It has been stipulated that self-esteem is one of the most studied concepts in social psychology. In the now classic study Pygmalion in the Classroom by Rosenthal and Jacobsen, it highlights how teachers' unfounded beliefs about their students became objective realities of the students performance (Baumeister, Campbell, Krueger, & Vohs, 2003, p. 2). Early studies like this one has ignited the pursuit to find ways to increase self-esteem and encourage instillment, or creation, of self-esteem to guarantee future success. Because it is so popularly studied, results of studies investigating variables associated with self-esteem often significantly vary. In our individualistic culture, having high-self esteem is a coveted state. Through multiple studies exploring this topic, perhaps a conclusion can be made about the relationship between self-esteem and success. Is self-esteem a predictor of success or a result of achieving the success? A previous study called "Predictors of situational disengagement in the academic setting," the authors Stephan, Caudroit, Boichà ©, and Sarrazin (2011) examined the predictors of discounting or devaluing negative feedback in a physical education class in France. By comparing the grades received in class (of which the participants were informed) and the reports of the students type of motivation, as well as their perceived competence in the subject (p.446). The researchers measured the level of disengagement and perceived competence following receiving the individual grades. They identified three different kinds of motivation is from the self-determination theory: intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and amotivation, or absence of motivation (p.444). If an unsatisfactory grade was receiv... ...eral self-esteem to school achievement. Personality and Individual Differences, 45, 599-564. Ramsdal, G.H. (2008). Differential relations between two dimensions of self-esteem and the Big Five? Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 49, 333-338. Stephan, Y., Caudroit, J., Boichà ©, J., Sarrazin, P. (2011). Predictors of situational disengagement in the academic setting: The contribution of grades, perceived competence, and academic motivation. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 81, 441-455. Stumpp, T., Muck, P.M., Hà ¼lscheger, U.R., Judge, T.A., & Mair, G.W. (2010). Core self-evaulations in Germany:Validation of a German measure of its relationship with career success. Applied Psychoology: An International Review, 59, 674-700. Zhang, M., & Cross, S.E. (2011). Emotion is memories of success and failure: A cultural perspective. Emotion, 11, 866-880. Relationship of Self-Esteem to Objective Success: Is it a Cause or Cons It has been stipulated that self-esteem is one of the most studied concepts in social psychology. In the now classic study Pygmalion in the Classroom by Rosenthal and Jacobsen, it highlights how teachers' unfounded beliefs about their students became objective realities of the students performance (Baumeister, Campbell, Krueger, & Vohs, 2003, p. 2). Early studies like this one has ignited the pursuit to find ways to increase self-esteem and encourage instillment, or creation, of self-esteem to guarantee future success. Because it is so popularly studied, results of studies investigating variables associated with self-esteem often significantly vary. In our individualistic culture, having high-self esteem is a coveted state. Through multiple studies exploring this topic, perhaps a conclusion can be made about the relationship between self-esteem and success. Is self-esteem a predictor of success or a result of achieving the success? A previous study called "Predictors of situational disengagement in the academic setting," the authors Stephan, Caudroit, Boichà ©, and Sarrazin (2011) examined the predictors of discounting or devaluing negative feedback in a physical education class in France. By comparing the grades received in class (of which the participants were informed) and the reports of the students type of motivation, as well as their perceived competence in the subject (p.446). The researchers measured the level of disengagement and perceived competence following receiving the individual grades. They identified three different kinds of motivation is from the self-determination theory: intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and amotivation, or absence of motivation (p.444). If an unsatisfactory grade was receiv... ...eral self-esteem to school achievement. Personality and Individual Differences, 45, 599-564. Ramsdal, G.H. (2008). Differential relations between two dimensions of self-esteem and the Big Five? Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 49, 333-338. Stephan, Y., Caudroit, J., Boichà ©, J., Sarrazin, P. (2011). Predictors of situational disengagement in the academic setting: The contribution of grades, perceived competence, and academic motivation. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 81, 441-455. Stumpp, T., Muck, P.M., Hà ¼lscheger, U.R., Judge, T.A., & Mair, G.W. (2010). Core self-evaulations in Germany:Validation of a German measure of its relationship with career success. Applied Psychoology: An International Review, 59, 674-700. Zhang, M., & Cross, S.E. (2011). Emotion is memories of success and failure: A cultural perspective. Emotion, 11, 866-880.

Story for English Exam

Young killer The gunshot was still ringing in my ears as I ran to my bedroom. I shut the door and locked myself in; I couldn’t stop the tears from flowing, hitting the polished wooden floor like rain in a storm, more and more I howled. He didn’t deserve it even after everything he did. Darren was dead. Everyone thought Darren was great, he always was a charmer. Every morning he would wake up and bring me breakfast. â€Å"Alright love? † he would say with a wink. I just loved him, he had a great smile with perfect white teeth, and his caramel skin was to die for. Rich, handsome and smart, Darren was my rock my leaning post when times were hard. Everything was perfect, we were perfect, the perfect family, Darren me and the two kids- Danielle and Joshua. All seemed well to everyone, but Darren started to change, he had a problem, a drinking problem. Darren would come home drunk each night looking for a fight, glaring about, he was a lion about to devour his prey. â€Å"Where the hell is that Danielle? † he screamed one day. Danielle walked down the stairs in a timid way, she knew what was coming. Darren was mad because Danielle didn’t finish the washing up. He grabbed her hair and dragged her to the sink screaming the house down with abuse. He kicked her and hit her until he grew tired, I couldn’t bare to watch. Darren was a monster. He repeated his â€Å"game† day after day. I wanted to say something I wanted it all to stop, but I couldn’t I loved Darren far too much, I was scared he would leave me, but enough was enough especially for Danielle. I had only one option I had to run, with the kids. I packed our bags, hastily throwing clothes into suitcases, blue, red, yellow, t-shirts, jumpers flying across the room as I tried to pack as much as possible in that short space of time. I got to Danielle’s t-shirt drawer and started to clear it when†¦ Clunk! A black shiny hand gun, rattled as it hit the floor. I stared at it traumatised, the death tool staring back. Questions were whizzing through my mind, why did Danielle have this? What was it for? Where did she get it from? Danielle was a good girl who wouldn’t even hurt a fly I just couldn’t understand why something so sinister was in her possession. After at least an hour of thinking in shock I decided to stop packing this issue was far more important than running away. I took a pair of Danielle’s green skinny jeans and placed the gun inside I wrapped the rest of the jeans around the gun and popped it back in the corner of Danielle’s drawer, couldn’t take the gun because Darren would find it so I left it there for a couple of days hoping and wishing that I could forget what I saw. Months had passed and Darren was back to his lovely self, he was buying treats for the kids and he hadn’t touched a single alcoholic beverage for at least three months, I was so proud of him. Everything was back to normal and even Danielle seemed back to the happy girl we all knew and loved, she even shared the occasional smile with her dad. All of that was to good to be true, as soon as I started to believe that Darren was a changed man he disappeared for three days, I would go to my bed and shed some tears praying to God that he would return, I would lay there night after night staring into the empty space beside me I knew what I was feeling it had to be loneliness and it was turning my heart cold. I cried myself to sleep a picture of the family tucked under my pillow being my only source of happiness. The next day came in a flash and Darren stormed through the door his eyes red with rage, he pushed passed me before I could say a word and he ran for the kitchen. Nobody knew what was on his mind. Ten minutes later he returned, but with a kitchen knife in his hand me and Danielle trembled in fear. He looked at me with no love in his eyes and grabbed for Danielle I screamed â€Å"NO! † and blood was trickling down fingers as I made feeble attempts to grab the knife. He had Danielle in his grip the knife coming closer and closer to her chest, my best efforts weren’t enough, I jumped up once more and nearly had the knife when. BANG! A metal bullet flew through the air and Darren fell to the ground the bullet sticking deep in his heart.. Me and Danielle turned to see a small sized silhouette holding a gun. The person turned around it was Joshua with a pair of green skinny jeans hanging round his neck. The gunshot was still ringing in my ears as I ran to my bedroom. A fact filling my head, that my son had murdered his father but saved his sister at the same time.